Respondents partially completing the questionnaire

Questionnaire - FTC Study on Environmental Marketing Terms

PLEASE DISPLAY THE FOLLOWING ON THE LANDING PAGE:
You are being asked to participate in a survey about how people interpret advertisements and
claims on product labels. If you agree to take part in this research, you will be asked a series of
questions about claims you might see on product labels or in advertisements, and you will also
be asked questions about yourself that may help us understand whether people’s views about the
claims are correlated with other characteristics they may have. The study will take about 20
minutes.
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Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Mail Stop
HQ-238, Washington, D.C. 20580.
Part I. Recycling Research Questions
SORT RESPONDENTS RANDOMLY INTO 42 CELLS [(1 CLAIM x 6 SCENARIOS + 2
CLAIMS x 4 SCENARIOS) x 3 PRODUCTS]
CLAIMS = “Recycled”, “Pre-Consumer Recycled”, “Post-Industrial Recycled”
PRODUCTS = storage bins, floor tiles, bowls
SCENARIOS: see Q3
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Q1. How well do you understand the meaning of the claim “Made with Recycled/Pre-Consumer
Recycled/Post-Industrial Recycled Content,” which may appear on some product labels or in
advertisements?
(1) I have a very thorough understanding of what “Made with Recycled/Pre-Consumer
Recycled/Post-Industrial Recycled Content” means.
(2) I have some understanding of what “Made with Recycled/Pre-Consumer Recycled/PostIndustrial Recycled Content” means.
(3) I have very little understanding of what “Made with Recycled/Pre-Consumer
Recycled/Post-Industrial Recycled Content” means.
(4) I have no idea what “Made with Recycled/Pre-Consumer Recycled/Post-Industrial
Recycled Content” means.

Q2. Suppose you see storage bins/floor tiles/bowls labeled as “Made with Recycled/PreConsumer Recycled/Post-Industrial Recycled Content.” What, if anything, does this statement
suggest or imply to you about the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls?
[TEXT BOX]

Q3. Please consider the following scenario:
[INSERT 1 OF SCENARIOS A-F]
Suppose the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are labeled as “Made with Recycled/Pre-Consumer
Recycled/Post-Industrial Recycled Content.” Would you agree or disagree that this statement, as
you understand it, accurately describes the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls?
(1) Strongly agree
(2) Somewhat agree
(3) Neither agree nor disagree
(4) Somewhat disagree
(5) Strongly disagree
(6) Not sure
IF Q3 RESPONSE IS (1) OR (2), SKIP TO Q5
IF Q3 RESPONSE IS (3) OR (6), SKIP TO Q4
Scenarios for Q3:
A. Post-Consumer – “Recycled” Claim Only
• Some storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are made entirely from pieces of
plastic/rubber/glass recovered after consumers dispose of them in collection bins.
• After being collected, the plastic/rubber/glass is processed into a usable form, and
then used to produce storage bins/floor tiles/bowls.
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B. Costs More I – All Claims
• Some storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are made entirely from pieces of
plastic/rubber/glass that came from the process of making milk containers/bicycle
tires/juice bottles but were not included in the final product.
• Using this plastic/rubber/glass to make the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls costs more
than using new plastic/rubber/glass because this plastic/rubber/glass must be broken
down and reformed before it can be fed into the storage bin/floor tile/bowl production
line.
C. Costs More II – All Claims
• Some storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are made entirely from pieces of
plastic/rubber/glass that came from the process of making other storage bins/floor
tiles/bowls but were not included in the final product.
• Using this plastic/rubber/glass to make the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls costs more
than using new plastic/rubber/glass because this plastic/rubber/glass must undergo a
separate manufacturing process before it can be fed into the storage bin/floor
tile/bowl production line.
D. Costs Less I – All Claims
• Some storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are made entirely from pieces of
plastic/rubber/glass that came from the process of making other storage bins/floor
tiles/bowls but were not included in the final product.
• Using this plastic/rubber/glass to make the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls costs less
than using new plastic/rubber/glass because this plastic/rubber/glass only needs to be
cleaned before it can be fed directly into the storage bin/floor tile/bowl production
line.
E. Costs Less II – All Claims
• Some storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are made entirely from pieces of
plastic/rubber/glass that came from the process of making milk containers/bicycle
tires/juice bottles but were not included in the final product.
• Using this plastic/rubber/glass to make the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls costs less
than using new plastic/rubber/glass because this plastic/rubber/glass only needs to be
shipped to the factory and fed directly into the storage bin/floor tile/bowl production
line.
F. Not Recycled – “Recycled” Claim Only
• Some storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are made entirely from wood pulp/rubber/silica
harvested from domestic forests/rubber trees/sand pits.
• This wood pulp/rubber/silica is processed into a usable form and then used to produce
the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls, which are made entirely from this material.

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Q4. Please briefly explain why you disagreed that the statement “Made with Recycled/PreConsumer Recycled/Post-Industrial Recycled Content” accurately describes the storage
bins/floor tiles/bowls:
[TEXT BOX]
IF SCENARIO=A OR SCENARIO=F OR CLAIM=”Pre-Consumer Recycled” OR
CLAIM=”Post-Industrial Recycled”, SKIP TO Q6

Q5. Suppose the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls are instead labeled as “Made with Pre-Consumer
Recycled Content.” Would you agree or disagree that this statement, as you understand it,
accurately describes the storage bins/floor tiles/bowls?
(1) Strongly agree
(2) Somewhat agree
(3) Neither agree nor disagree
(4) Somewhat disagree
(5) Strongly disagree
(6) Not sure

Part II. Organic Research Questions
SORT RESPONDENTS RANDOMLY INTO 31 CELLS [(3 PRODUCTS x 9 Q10.1
SCENARIOS) + (2 PRODUCTS x 2 Q10.2 CLAIMS)]
PRODUCTS = dry cleaning service; shampoo, mattress
CLAIMS = “Organic”, “Organic Cleansing Ingredients” (shampoo only), “Organic Fabric and
Fill” (mattress only)
SCENARIOS: see Q10.1
Q6. How well do you understand the meaning of the claim “Organic,” which may appear on
some product labels or in advertisements?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

I have a very thorough understanding of what “Organic” means.
I have some understanding of what “Organic” means.
I have very little understanding of what “Organic” means.
I have no idea what “Organic” means.

Q7. Suppose you see a dry cleaning service advertised/shampoo labeled/mattress labeled as
“Organic.” What, if anything, does this statement suggest or imply to you about the dry cleaning
service/shampoo/mattress?
[TEXT BOX]
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Q8. Suppose you see a dry cleaning service advertised/shampoo labeled/mattress labeled as
“Organic.” Suppose you also see some apples labeled as “Organic.” Does the word “Organic”
have the same meaning for both products?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) Not sure
IF Q8 RESPONSE IS (1) OR (3), SKIP TO NOTE BEFORE Q10.1

Q9. Please briefly explain how the meaning of the word “Organic” in reference to a dry cleaning
service/shampoo/mattress differs from the meaning of the word “Organic” in reference to an
apple:
[TEXT BOX]

NOTE: 27 Cells see Q10.1 [(3 Products x 9 Q10.1 Scenarios]. 4 Cells see Q10.2 (2 Products x 2
Q10.2 Claims).

Q10.1. Please consider the following scenario:
[INSERT 1 OF SCENARIOS A-I]
Suppose the dry cleaning service is advertised/shampoo is labeled/mattress is labeled as
“Organic.” Would you agree or disagree that the word “Organic,” as you understand it,
accurately describes the dry cleaning service/shampoo/mattress?
(1) Strongly agree
(2) Somewhat agree
(3) Neither agree nor disagree
(4) Somewhat disagree
(5) Strongly disagree
(6) Not sure
IF Q10.1 RESPONSE IS (4) OR (5), SKIP TO Q11. ELSE SKIP TO NOTE BEFORE Q12.1.
Scenarios for Q10.1:
A. No Artificial

•

100% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.

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•

None of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process.

B. Hydrocarbons

•
•

100% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals or from the
process of refining petroleum or natural gas.
No other substances are used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients are in the
shampoo/materials are in the mattress.

C. <1% Artificial

•
•

Over 99% (but not all) of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in
a shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process.

D. <1% Artificial, Safe

•
•

Over 99% (but not all) of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in
a shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process, but
they pose no health or safety hazard to consumers.

E. 1%-5% Artificial

•
•

95% - 99% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process.

F. 1%-5% Artificial, Safe

•
•

95% - 99% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process, but
they pose no health or safety hazard to consumers.

G. 5%-10% Artificial

•
•

90% - 95% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process.
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H. 5%-10% Artificial, Safe

•
•

I.

90% - 95% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process, but
they pose no health or safety hazard to consumers.

95% Artificial
• 5% of the substances used by a dry cleaning service/ingredients in a
shampoo/materials in a mattress were obtained from plants or animals, which were
grown or raised without any substances that do not occur in nature.
• The rest of the substances used by the dry cleaning service/ingredients in the
shampoo/materials in the mattress were made by a man-made chemical process.

NOTE: For Q10.2, if Product = shampoo, then Claim = “Organic” or “Organic Cleansing
Ingredients.” If Product = mattress, then Claim = “Organic or “Organic Fabric and Fill.”

Q10.2. Suppose you see a shampoo/mattress labeled as “Organic/Organic Cleansing
Ingredients/Organic Fabric and Fill.” Which of the following best describes the
shampoo/mattress?
(1) All ingredients/materials in the shampoo/mattress are organic. It contains no
ingredients/materials that are not organic.
(2) All cleansing ingredients/fabric and fill in the shampoo/mattress are organic, but the
shampoo/mattress may contain other ingredients/materials (such as preservatives/thread)
that are not organic.
(3) Some cleansing ingredients/fabric and fill in the shampoo/mattress are organic, but the
shampoo/mattress may contain other cleansing ingredients/fabric and fill that are not
organic.
(4) None of the ingredients in the shampoo/mattress are organic.
(5) Not sure
IF Q10.1, PROCEED TO Q11. IF Q10.2, SKIP TO NOTE BEFORE Q12.1.

Q11. Please briefly explain why you disagreed that the word “Organic” accurately describes the
dry cleaning service/shampoo/mattress:
[TEXT BOX]
IF PRODUCT=”dry cleaning service”, SKIP TO Q14
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NOTE: Respondents who see Product = “mattress” or Product = “shampoo” are sorted randomly
such that one-third see Q12.1 and Q13.1, one-third see Q12.2 and Q13.2, and one-third see
Q12.3. Respondents who see Product = “dry cleaning service” skip Q12 and Q13.

Q12.1 Suppose you see a shampoo/mattress labeled as “Organic.” Does this statement suggest or
imply that the shampoo/mattress meets some government standard?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) Not sure
IF Q12.1 RESPONSE IS (2) OR (3), SKIP TO Q14
Q13.1. Which of the following most accurately describes what the word “Organic” implies about
the shampoo/mattress?
(1) The government regulates the process used for making the product, but does not necessarily
inspect the final product.
(2) The government inspects the final product to ensure that it contains only approved
ingredients/materials, but does not necessarily regulate the process used for making the product.
(3) The government regulates the process used for making the product and inspects the final
product to ensure that it contains only approved ingredients/materials.
(4) Not sure

Q12.2. Suppose you see a shampoo/mattress labeled as “Organic.” Does this statement suggest
or imply that the product is certified as “Organic” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(“USDA”)?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) Not sure
IF Q12.2 RESPONSE IS (2) OR (3), SKIP TO Q14

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Q13.2. Which of the following most accurately describes what the word “Organic” implies about
the shampoo/mattress?
(1) The USDA regulates the process used for making the product, but does not necessarily
inspect the final product.
(2) The USDA inspects the final product to ensure that it contains only approved
ingredients/materials, but does not necessarily regulate the process used for making the product.
(3) The USDA regulates the process used for making the product and inspects the final product
to ensure that it contains only approved ingredients/materials.
(4) Not sure

Q12.3 Suppose you see a shampoo/mattress labeled as “Refreshing Scent/Soft and
Comfortable.” Does this statement suggest or imply that the shampoo/mattress meets some
government standard?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) Not sure

Part III. Demographic and Product Interest Questions
Q14. How would you describe your awareness of environmental issues?
(1) Not at all aware
(2) Somewhat aware
(3) Fairly aware
(4) Very aware
(5) Extremely aware

Q15. How would you describe your awareness of the environmental costs and benefits of
products you consider purchasing?
(1) Not at all aware
(2) Somewhat aware
(3) Fairly aware
(4) Very aware
(5) Extremely aware

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Q16. How often do environmental costs and benefits affect your decisions of which products to
purchase?
(1) Never
(2) Rarely
(3) Sometimes
(4) Often
(5) Always
Q17. Are you…?
(1) Male
(2) Female

Q18. In what state or territory do you currently reside?
[LIST STATES]

Q19. What is your age?
(1) 18-29
(2) 30-39
(3) 40-49
(4) 50-59
(5) 60-69
(6) 70+

Q20. What is the highest level of education you have completed or the highest degree you have
received?
(1) Less than high school
(2) Some high school
(3) High school diploma
(4) Some college
(5) Associate degree
(6) Bachelor’s degree
(7) Some graduate school
(8) Master’s degree
(9) Professional degree
(10) Doctoral degree

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Q21. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin?
(1) Yes, of Hispanic origin
(2) No, not of Hispanic origin
(3) Decline to answer

Q22. Please choose one or more categories to indicate your race. Are you…?
(1) White
(2) Black or African American
(3) Asian
(4) American Indian or Alaska Native
(5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
(6) Decline to answer

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